A shock absorber is known having an outer guiding housing mounted on a motor vehicle chassis, especially on the chassis of a crane-carrying motor vehicle, and a supporting member movable axially and rotatable relative to it. A hydraulic chamber is formed between the guiding housing and the supporting member.
Shock absorbers in or dumper mining cars are known in which an outer guiding housing comprises a hydraulic cylinder which is closed on top. A piston is slidably mounted in this hydraulic cylinder. Its comparatively thick piston rod is mechanically guided in lower hydraulically "open" parts (i.e. parts not acted on hydraulically). A flange is provided on the free end of the piston rod which acts as an axially slidable supporting member to which the wheel suspension is attached.
With large transverse forces, as can occur in braking or in travelling over an obstacle, the piston rod experiences a bending moment which tends to bring the piston out of axial alignment. That tends to tilt the piston which makes its sliding in the cylinder difficult and leads to increased fluid leakage losses.